12-Step programs for teens

I think that 12-step programs play an important part of the aftercare process, especially for adolescents, because what happens is, once you've completed the treatment cycle and you're on the road to recovery, then you can go and hang with your friends, and it's the most easily reachable, it's the most affordable, widely recognized way for peer-to-peer support. And today they have all kinds of groups in 12-step programs that are specific for adolescents and teenagers. So it's not like the old days when it was all 50-year-old guys sitting around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. They have all kinds of activities these days for kids and their own support groups.

Dan Cronin, LISAC, CADAC, CAS, CCS

Substance Abuse Expert

Dan Cronin has been a Substance Abuse Expert, a leading figure in the fields of Alcohol and Drug Intervention, Alternative Sentencing and Case Management for over 20 years. His organizations, Dan Cronin Consulting and A.I.R., provide Alcohol and Drug Abuse Care Management throughout North America and the world, for individuals, corporations and organizations including the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer, where he is the Director of their Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Programs.

As a licensed Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor (LISAC, CADAC, CAS, CCS), Dan works closely with medical professionals in all aspects of addiction medicine. As part of Dan Cronin Consulting, Dan has teamed with renowned psychiatrist Dr. M. David Lewis, M.D., whose 30 years of experience has established him as a leading medical expert in the field. He also works with Dr. Brian F. Shaw, Ph.D., one of the top clinical psychologists in North America and co-founder of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). With them he has developed a specific model for Case Management that treats clients suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction. Working with his key executive Mellie Walker and the rest of his team at Dan Cronin Consulting, he’s implemented this substance rehab model nationwide and it is now used as a template in many referral agencies around the country.

Dan is also founder and director of AIR Alternatives, launched in 1997 to assist individuals and companies with Alternative Sentencing, including in-custody assessments, transportation and court follow-ups. AIR contracts with the courts throughout Los Angeles County, specializing addiction treatment center placement for individuals who face legal consequences due to addiction. Other members of the AIR team include DeAnne Soriano, Director of Operations, who has 10 years of experience and functions as direct liaison to the courts and Anthony Melillo, Assessment Specialist and transport coordinator with the firm for the last five years.

I think that 12-step programs play an important part of the aftercare process, especially for adolescents, because what happens is, once you've completed the treatment cycle and you're on the road to recovery, then you can go and hang with your friends, and it's the most easily reachable, it's the most affordable, widely recognized way for peer-to-peer support. And today they have all kinds of groups in 12-step programs that are specific for adolescents and teenagers. So it's not like the old days when it was all 50-year-old guys sitting around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. They have all kinds of activities these days for kids and their own support groups.